articles/Sports/flyingwiththeredarrows-page2

Flying with the Red Arrows by Jamie Hunter - part 2 of 1 2 3 4 5

Published 01/02/2009

The team leader and Officer Commanding is currently Wing Commander Jas Hawker (Red 1), who clearly has one of the most sought-after, but demanding jobs in the world. The role of the formation leader is absolutely critical to the display and Wg Cdr Hawker is responsible for accurate positioning and precise timing throughout the complex routine. Red 1 leads the whole formation of nine aircraft for the first half of the display, with a split at the halfway point into two groups.

Red 1 continues to lead the front section (known as Enid), whilst the rear formation (known as Gypo) is led by Red 6, the leader of the famous Syncro Pair that perform death-defying crossovers in front of the crowd. The second half of the display contains manoeuvres, which are much more dynamic, with the aim being to keep something happening in front of the crowd at all times.

To help keep the team in the public eye, I am one of two specialist aviation photographers allowed to fly with the team on display practice sorties. Before flying with the team itself, first-time fliers get an essential check-out flight with a spare aircraft in the team. This is usually with the road manager and commentator pilot, known as Red 10, to make sure one can cope with the harsh environment that is the back seat of one of the nine team Hawks during the display.

It is an onslaught of 30 minutes of gruelling aerobatic flying and they are looking to make sure you don't black out with the G-forces or get airsick. The other big no-no is touching the control stick. The Hawk trainer jets that the Red Arrows use are all two-seaters and have a linked stick in the back you really cannot afford to knock the stick in the back as you are flying extremely close!

• Flying with the Red Arrows by Jamie Hunter page 1
  
• Flying with the Red Arrows by Jamie Hunter page 2
  
• Flying with the Red Arrows by Jamie Hunter page 3
  
• Flying with the Red Arrows by Jamie Hunter page 4
  
• Flying with the Red Arrows by Jamie Hunter page 5
  

There are 42 days to get ready for The Society of Photographers Convention and Trade Show at The Novotel London West, Hammersmith ...
which starts on Wednesday 15th January 2025